restaurant of the week 3/15 - 3/21

Rina

About

Rina is one of the newest restaurants to open on the Beltline (inside Ford Factory Lofts). I love a good Mediterranean meal and Rina delivered just that with its Israeli cuisine. I’ve been twice now - once with Nizar during their opening week (which also coincided with my birthday) and again just two weeks ago with another couple. So I’m happy to report that both times delivered exceptional food.

While I haven’t been to Tel Aviv, I’d like to think that I was transported there with the beach vibes created by the assorted blue tiles, natural light and colored flags strung from the tall ceilings. Rina is a sit-down meal with fast and friendly service. I would recommend going as a party of four so that you can order a few things and share.

We splurged on some of the more substantial mains like the Jaffa Fried Fish and Sea Bass but look forward to going back a third time to try some of the pita sandwiches. However I will say that both fish dishes were probably some of my favorite seafood bites in all of Atlanta! Our main dishes were accompanied by an assortment of mezze and a must-order Tahini Date Shake. More on that below under “What we Ordered”.

It’s not the greatest spot for groups, since they don’t take reservations and tables are smaller, but I’m sure if you called ahead and requested they could probably pull together a table of eight or ten for you. Given these strange times surrounding Covid-19, for those of us who are scared to dine in at restaurants, they have an easy-access take-out counter on the Beltline side.

Lastly, for those of you who don’t know, Rina is owned by the same person (Tal Baum) behind Bellina Alimentari, Falafel Nation & Aziza! Each of these restaurants is different with very little overlap.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

rina vibes

Great For

Israeli cuisine

Good quality and flavorful food

For people who love sharing dishes

When you’re trying to avoid the weekend crowds at Ponce City Market

Likelihood to go Back

Extremely Likely

Location & Hours

Old 4th Ward - 699 Ponce De Leon Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30308

Monday - Friday 11am - 2:30pm, 5pm - 9pm || Saturday 11am - 10pm || Sunday 12pm - 8pm

Parking

Free limited parking behind Ford Factory Lofts (do not use Murder Kroger parking - you may be towed).

Easily accessible via Beltline (for those walking)

Price

$15 - $30 per person

Dish prices vary a lot so you can find something affordable or splurge on their seafood items.

Reservations

No, walk-ins only

Take away counter (on the Beltline entrance side)

Vegetarian Options

Plenty of options…very vegetarian friendly!

What we Ordered

I enjoyed most of the food we ordered. While we didn’t order some of the traditional mains, we thought the seafood dishes and mezzes were exceptional. I thought the portion sizes of the seafood dishes were very generous. On each of our trips, Nizar and I were able to share one seafood dish with a side of mezze and a shake. I will say that I was disappointed with the hummus. It was a little too gritty and thick, almost like a peanut butter consistency. I prefer mine to be a little more fluid? It might just be me ( I feel the same way about Aziza’s hummus). Lastly, the mezzes are a great way to sample and share some fresh and delicious bites (sold as 3 for $10 or 5 for $15).

Items marked with an asterisk (*) and bolded were my favorite dishes.

Hummus No. 3 - I didn’t love the consistency. But I did like that it was paired not only with bread but crudites as well.
Roasted Beets Mezze*
Tabbouleh Mezze*
Chickpeas Mezze
Eggplant Matbucha Mezze
Side of Falafels - I prefer the falafel at Falafel Nation.
Jaffa Fried Fish* - The seasoning on this fried fish was superb. Although it was fried, I didn’t feel sick after eating it.
Sea Bass* - The sea bass paired perfectly with the Persian rice underneath it. So flavorful and light.
Tahini Shake* - This is so good but also very heavy and filling. You can actually taste pieces of dates. I recommend sharing one shake between two people (maybe even three).
Turkish Coffee Shake - I didn’t taste the Turkish coffee that much, but overall still a good option.